Derek Brown is well-known for many reasons, including giving novel machining demonstrations at exhibitions for the SMEE, articles on tooling, superheating, injectors, etc, etc, and his popular Anna locomotive design in 7 1/4” gauge. Less well known, until now, is another long term project of more than 30 years. It is a 5” gauge A4 locomotive being built from original LNER drawings.

The model is as the original Capercaillie would have been found in 1947, in LNER garter blue with the renumbering and LNER logo in stainless steel. This particular engine did not run with a corridor tender, but Derek decided to make one - for the challenge - and not least because he had enjoyed a footplate ride on one of the class from Grantham to Kings Cross in 1960, and other journeys with the Elizabethan, Talisman and Fair Maid. The tender is fitted with a working scoop apparatus and ‘piss pipe’ water level gauge, along with buck-eye coupling, screw coupling and proper corridor connection. The tank and locomotive plate work is in 12% chrome steel.

Footplate details are close to scale, The front section of the tender panel is removable for driving, but the joint is not obtrusive. The coal restraint doors open in the original way to allow for final trimming of coal on the run. Three drawbars join the two vehicles, as on the original, and the pipes comprise two injector feeds, emergency hand pump and vacuum pipe (still to be fitted to the engine).

The cab floor is in four pieces with a fall plate covering the gap to the tender. Two 12 oz vertical injectors are fitted behind the cab steps and are plumbed, as on the original, to the backhead, with steam and delivery pipes side-by-side. The cut-off indicator does work, as the reversing screw is turned.

Commercial wheel castings are used and the cylinder patterns were made in Derek’s workshop and cast at night school.

Derek adds: “The design is a bit of a nightmare, including such mundane items as sets off bevel gears to raise the smokebox door for access. Gresley conjugated valve gear is, of course, fitted to power the middle cylinder.

“A few details have still to be resolved, including how to open the drain cocks and ashpan dampers, while following the prototype appearance.”